1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of processing information, an information processing system, a terminal for and a method of receiving data, and a data broadcasting system for sending and receiving data.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have heretofore been proposed systems for loading software contents in a hardware terminal and using the loaded software.
Such proposed systems include reproducing devices for playing back compact disks (CDs), analog records, mini disks (MDs), digital audio tapes (DATs), cassette tapes, and video tapes, and reproducing systems such as TV game machines and portable game machines for loading package mediums as contents in terminals and playing back those package mediums to play games.
There have also been proposed recording/reproducing systems as a combination of a reproducing system and a recording function. Such recording/reproducing systems include recording/reproducing devices for MDs and DATs, hardware terminals with an added recording function for loading package mediums in a terminal unit and recording information in and reproducing information from those package mediums, such as cassette decks, video decks, radio and cassette deck combinations, mini component stereo sets, TV sets with built-in video decks, and video decks with built-in CS decoders, and recording/reproducing systems as a combination of a hardware terminal with a recording function and a function to receive contents distributed via radio and cable links.
TV systems, radio systems (FM and AM), CATV systems, CS systems, BS systems, pager systems, portable telephone systems, and PHSs (personal handyphone systems) distribute contents via radio and cable links. Terminals of these systems have reception systems for allowing users to view distributed contents substantially at the same time the contents are distributed.
There has been known a pager system for transmitting data with identification (ID) information simultaneously to a plurality of pager terminals via radio links. The pager terminals are also known as pagers or beepers.
In recent years, a broadcasting system which employ an existing pager system has been proposed.
FIG. 17 of the accompanying drawings shows a pager system. As shown in FIG. 17, the pager system comprises a plurality of telephone sets 1111 through 111m, a central station 120 connected to the telephone sets 1111 through 111m through a communication link 112, a plurality of base stations 1301 through 130n for processing data transmitted from the central station 120 into broadcast data, and a plurality of pager terminals 1411 through 141n for receiving broadcast data from the base stations 1301 through 130n.
The central station 120 comprises an ID converter 122 for converting a call signal into the ID address of a pager terminal to be called, an encoder 123 for encoding converted ID address data, and a modem 124 for sending data to and receiving data from the base stations 1301 through 130n. The base stations 1301 through 130n comprise respective modems 1311 through 131n for sending data to and receiving data from the central station 120, respective phase compensators 1321 through 132n for phase-compensating data supplied thereto, and respective transmitters 1331 through 133n for processing phase-compensated data into modulated data to be transmitted via respective antennas 1341 through 134n to the pager terminals 1411 through 141n.
In the pager system 100, each of the telephone sets 1111 through 111m calls a desired pager terminal according to the following process:
When the sender dials a number to call the pager terminal from either one of the telephone sets 1111 through 111m as push-button telephone sets, the number signal is sent to the central station 120.
In the central station 120, the ID converter 122 converts the number signal into the ID address of one of the pager terminals 1411 through 141n which corresponds to the dialed number. The encoder 123 encodes the converted ID address data. The modem 124 then sends the encoded data to the base stations 1301 through 130n.
In the base stations 1301 through 130n, the modems 1311 through 131n receive the data sent from the central station 120, and the phase compensators 1321 through 132n phase-compensate the received data. The transmitters 1331 through 133n process the phase-compensated data into modulated signals to be transmitted via the respective antennas 1341 through 134n to the pager terminals 1411 through 141n.
The pager terminals 1411 through 141n have respective ID addresses of their own. The pager terminals 1411 through 141n receive the ID address from the base stations 1301 through 130n. If one of the pager terminals 1411 through 141n determines that the received ID address and its own ID address agree with each other, then that pager terminal carries out a calling process, e.g., emits a beep signal.
The above process is a series of successive steps for calling a pager terminal in the pager system 100.
The systems for loading package mediums as contents in terminals to use the package mediums are capable of handling a large amount of data including image and sound data. However, the data thus handled by these systems lacks real-time information. Stated otherwise, the package mediums do not contain real-time information, and users need to go to stores to purchase package mediums as contents.
The systems in which contents are distributed via radio and cable links and received by the reception systems of the terminals to allow users to view distributed contents substantially at the same time the contents are distributed, are capable of handling real-time information. However, the amount of information that is sent and received is relatively small, and the distributed information is used at site only. The distribution of information requires a permanent facility, and the users are generally charged with a fixed subscription fee.
The hardware terminals with an added recording function for loading package mediums in a terminal unit and recording information in and reproducing information from those package mediums, and the recording/reproducing systems as a combination of a hardware terminal with a recording function and a function to receive contents distributed via radio and cable links, have an increased time shifting capability because they can record received contents distributed via radio and cable links. In these terminals and systems, however, received contents are basically used as new package mediums. The amount of information distributed via radio and cable links remains the same, and the real-timeness of the information is lost the instant it is distributed. The above terminals and systems also suffer the problems that the distribution of information requires a permanent facility, and the users are generally charged with a fixed subscription fee.
Sending data with the system shown in FIG. 17 is advantageous in that it uses an existing infrastructure.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for and a method of processing information, an information processing system, a terminal for and a method of receiving data, and a data broadcasting system for sending and receiving data, in order to be able to send and receive a large amount of data while maintaining real-timeness of the data.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example.